1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the construction of a baluster, more particularly to the construction of a composite baluster.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional wooden staircase balusters are generally formed as a rod which is provided with a pleasing outline for aesthetic purposes. As shown in FIG. 1, a typical wooden baluster 1 includes an upper tapered section 101, a neck 102, a lower section 103 of rectangular cross-section, and a tenon 104 formed at a bottom end of the lower section 103. In setting up the baluster 1, the top end of the upper tapered section 101 is embedded into a top stair-rail, and the tenon 104 is fitted in a hole in the floor of a staircase and is nailed securely thereat.
However, the known wooden baluster 1 has the following disadvantages:
1. A considerable amount of wood is consumed in manufacturing the wooden baluster 1, and a lot of waste is produced during the processing of wood.
2. As wood is not sufficiently strong, the wooden baluster 1 is susceptible to damage upon impact and is prone to crack and deform when subjected to varying weather.
3. Although the upper tapered section 101 and the neck section 102 of the wooden baluster 1 may be machined via a lathe machine, the lower section 103 must be formed by using a planing machine. Therefore, different processing operations have to be performed to finish the entire profile of the wooden baluster 1, thus increasing the complexity of the manufacturing process.